Hi everyone :) this is Dana! A good friend of mine suggested I make a GoFundMe to ask my community for help and support as I navigate life after graduate school.

Though I have worked in community settings for as long as I can recall, it has always been hard for me to ask for help or to even hint at me struggling (Caribbean genes). However, after almost a year of experiencing everything in silence and trying to push my way through, I have learned that it is hard for me to really show up as best as I can when I myself am slowly deteriorating from stress, anxiety, sadness, and the unknown.

I am a teaching artist and designer born and raised in Queens, NY, and, as much as I hate to admit this, I cannot afford to live in the city that raised me (yet). I am in deep debt with rent and all other loans and expenses that were taken out to pursue my education are now catching up with me. My landlords have already sent out a petition for me to be evicted, though I have been paying what I can in good faith and receiving aid from HRA. Despite all the hardships I have been experiencing, I have still shown up for my community every day because, truly, showing up for my classes and meeting people in different art studios has been the only thing that has kept me going (crying as I type this :P). I am asking for help with my back rent and to help alleviate costs for living expenses and moving expenses.

On the bright side, I am starting my first artist residency, and I believe that this is going to be revolutionary in my journey. I would like to focus my time and energy into this new space and really dive into how best to create and design for my community. I have started my own design practice, Day Off Studio, to really tie in my love for art, design, public spaces, and community activism. As it continues to grow, your support is greatly needed to continue free or low-cost workshops that are open to any and everyone. In these workshops, I aim to provide free materials, accessible spaces, and resources for participants to take and bring to others. Furthermore, I have started a material library that we are calling the Yarn Barn, which will consist of donated yarn, books, and other materials that will be used to facilitate workshops. I understand deeply how terrible our economy is, and so if you have anything you’d like to donate to the Yarn Barn, that would really carry us a long way. Feel free to message me if interested!

Ugh, I could go on and on about my experience post-grad, and maybe I will in a Substack post or something. But I’ll end this off by saying that there have been a lot of high highs and tons of low lows, but the one thing that has stayed consistent this past year is the love and support I feel from my friends, family, and community. I am grateful that you took the time to read this, and I’m also proud of myself for stepping outside my comfort zone.

Thank you again, I love you.